So actually running through some numbers I am simply flabbergasted once again why the NCAA felt the need to change the bats. The NCAA says safety, which the NCAA didn't exactly have statistically more significant injuries due to balls hitting people than MLB that I've ever seen. So we all realize that's likely not the real change.

The real change seemed to be from the pressure of MLB and scouts which said the BESR bats had more power than wood bats, which they absolutely did, but going to the new bats has nearly neutered college baseball to the point of having less than half the power game MLB has now...but wait a second, I thought going to the new bats would help even things out there? Yep, just running over some numbers I found out that this years college 0.42 HR/gm average (per team) is less than half of the MLB 0.985 HR/gm average (per team). Whoa, wait a second. So MLB teams average just over twice the amount of HR/gm as college teams?

Well, I guess we need to find out what BESR bats were doing. Well, BESR bats in their final season (2010) produced ~.945 HR/gm (per team). In fact that was close to the HIGHEST HR/gm (per team) produced by BESR bats in a season which stood at just over 0.95. So, now I'm saying BESR bats (with the current college baseball) produced basically very similar amounts of home runs per game (per team) as wood bats do in MLB? Yep, numbers speak for themselves.

So what in the frick was the NCAA really thinking by neutering the college power game so much? College baseball simply isnt as fun to watch now as it was with those BESR bats. The summer wood bat leagues are all the scouts needed really, hell they draft high school kids who use much less regulated bats than the college BESR bats. By all means I'll never give up on college baseball because IMO we have greatest program in history ( )...but I think the grand majority of folks do agree the power game is simply not even close to where it needs to be in college.

I really dont like the fact it seems like the NCAA has bent its knees over for MLB. I have a very hard time believing changing to the MLB baseball would produce numbers similar to that of MLB teams in HR/gm too. Maybe it will raise it significantly to 0.6 or 0.7 per game, but shouldn't it be pretty similar to MLB, not just better than currently? Like it was before?

i wouldn't doubt that a main reason was an attempt to level the playing field for the midwest and the northeast against the south and west. if the elite programs are getting the majority of the home run hitters, the new bats neutralize that advantage. now, the home run hitters are hitting fly outs to the lesser programs who don't have as many power hitters. the west coast teams adjusted the fastest as peterson was talking about tonight.

it also helps the lesser programs who don't have as many good arms. now their pitchers can stay in the game longer and they don't need as many in the bullpen.

I've heard alot of talk about the bats and balls and reduced running scoring. It seems to me that one easy way to help offenses would be to actually enforce the strike zone and not call every pitch a foot off the plate a strike.

quote:Compare the minor leagues.... I bet it is closer to NCAA than MLB....

Kind of irrelevant. People dont "follow" minor league teams really. People "follow" MLB teams because they are playing to win something. Same with college teams. Minor league teams are there not to win games so much as to get players developed and prepared for a MLB call up one day. The "value" of the spectator is greatly diminished for Minor league teams vs. college teams or MLB teams.

Spectators by in large want to see exciting plays. Exciting plays very much so include home runs. hen you take away home runs from being part of the game, the spectator value is diminished. It's really that simple.

I honestly have no clue what minor league teams hit on average for home runs per game, but honestly, once again, as a spectator, who cares?

What's killing me are plays like the would-be walk-off home run for Oregon St. today. That was a terrible hanging pitch, the kid mashed it and it ends up 3 feet short. I know some kids just don't have the strength, but these bats aren't favorable for home runs and they allow too many pitchers to get away with bad pitches.

quote:What's killing me are plays like the would-be walk-off home run for Oregon St. today.

that's partially what inspired this thread, as are all the other "almost out of heres" I've seen recently. How much more awesome would it be if those DID go out? I mean, people live to see stuff like that.